Picture These Possibilities

HOMESTYLE DECOR

Family Photos Can Come Down From The Walls And Show Off In Exciting New Decor Areas.

March 6, 2005|By Peggy Musial, Sentinel Staff Writer

Here's looking at you, kids.

In one room, you're framed on the wall in holiday finery; in another you're beaming in that preschool cap and gown. And there's the photo Mom won't take down -- you in the droopy diaper taking those first steps.

As the years and celebrations move on, preserving the memories takes a toll on your decor, not to mention the ever-growing number of holes in the walls. Do you really need or want to display all 12 seasons of the Pee-Wee team for the world to see? Cocooning might be in, but clutter isn't.

Sometimes, though, it's just fun to take a visual trip down memory lane. Luckily, with the many cleverly designed photo decor accents on the market, you don't need wall space to bring back the memories.

Easels make great portable family photo holders, especially for framed pictures. You can even exchange images to suit a particular mood or occasion. "Easels give your pictures legs," says Jon KenKnight, frame shop manager at Sam Flax Art and Design in Orlando, adding that, with easels, you can bring portraits into the forefront of your interior landscape.

In decorating magazines, you'll likely see easels used as striking decor accents in every room to showcase artwork and family portraits. Easels are lightweight, too. That means if you thought the portrait would look good in the entryway, but it doesn't, you can easily move it -- with no holes or marks left behind.

"A tall H-frame easel can greet guests in the foyer, while smaller adjustable easels can easily be moved next to a couch during a party," KenKnight says.

Consider the possibilities. When the in-laws visit, you can dust off the framed family portrait and display it on an easel so each time grandma walks by you'll hear the soft "ahhhs." Once you have had your fill of looking at that dated coif, exchange the portrait with pictures of a vacation or beloved pet.

Easels can be purchased at art supply or gift stores, and online. If your living area is formal, look for a decorative brass easel. If your tastes are simpler, a wooden artist's easel might be a perfect choice. If space is a consideration, diminutive desktop varieties also are available.

Multitasking is a way of life these days, so why not use decor accents that can do double-duty? Lamps, coasters and even floor screens are a few home decor items made with protective openings to display and interchange photos.

- Clip art: Crate & Barrel sells a variety of memo clips for under $2 each. These weighted clips hold photos, notes or cards and can be creatively placed in the kitchen, on a table or a desktop.

- Photo coasters: Crate & Barrel also sells a set of four glass photo coasters. Each one has a protected vinyl sleeve that fits a 1.75 inch-by-2.5 inch photo; $25.

DO IT YOURSELF

Another inexpensive option is homemade photo holders. One clever idea is to roll a photo and drop it into a clean, clear old bottle. Make sure the bottle is large enough for the photo to unfurl. You could make a grouping of old family photos using several bottles placed on a shelf or table.

Stacy Coon, gift buyer at Sam Flax, says another display idea is to set a grouping of photos and mementos under a cloche, a bell jar or a glass cake cover. For instance, you might prop up a baby picture in front of a pair of booties, along with other personal treasures, Coon says. These items will be protected from dust and can be changed and moved around the house.

Stores and catalog companies sell "photo ledges" made from decorative crown molding that can be attached to a wall. If you would rather have a movable ledge, connect two pieces of painted molding back to back with a spacer between the pieces to insert photos. Set the photo gallery on a bedside table or a shelf.

Kids can join the action, too. Simply attach a string across a wall or above a headboard and use clothespins to clip on assorted photos, such as snapshots from the birthday slumber party or the big game.

PIXELS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Now that digital photo technology has become a household word, who wouldn't want a desktop digital picture frame that displays photos in a slide-show format inside a 12-inch frame? With the right technology, you really can view the 200 shots of the gang at the Daytona 500 -- without cluttering your home in the meantime.